


Little Do You Know

by HaydenFullwright



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Crying, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Oblivious Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, One Shot, Slight Plagg/Tikki, Teen Angst, adrienette - Freeform, but just a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-05 23:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13398297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaydenFullwright/pseuds/HaydenFullwright
Summary: Marinette rejects Chat for Adrien, and Adrien rejects her for Ladybug.So they comfort each other.





	Little Do You Know

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics are from Little Do You Know by Alex and Sierra.

_Little Do You Know I Love You 'Til The Sun Dies_

 

"I'm doing it, Plagg. I'm going to tell her," Adrien slammed his fist into his hand, body posture firm, focused.

The Kwami sighed dramatically. "Remember how it went last time, kid? You were hit with Dark Cupid's arrow. You have a lot of bad luck."

"No thanks to you," Adrien flicked his wrist dismissively. "But it's going to work. I know it will." He pressed a hand to his bedroom window, staring at the receding light, as Paris' lights began to twinkle, ready to drive away the dark. "I don't think you understand what it's like to love someone like this. She's so beautiful, and perfect, and amazing, and I know I don't deserve her, but I love her. And you'll never understand that, Plagg."

"I do, actually," Plagg's voice was so quiet, Adrien almost missed the Kwami's words. He blinked, glanced at the black creature. Plagg stared absently out the window beside Adrien, eyes misty, as a small quiver ran through him. And then he blinked, and the moment was gone. Plagg stared at Adrien, frowning. "I want cheese. At least give me some before you go making a fool of yourself."

Adrien had to blink several times, his brain trying to catch up with the Kwami's mood changes. But then he rolled his eyes. "I don't want to smell like cheese when I tell her."

"You're no fun," the Kwami said as he drifted away from the window.

Adrien was silent as the last of the light in the sky receded, leaving behind a blackened canvas with grey streaks of clouds reflecting the warm yellow glow of city lights. "Plagg," he paused, fear rolling in. "I can't do this," he squeaked.

"I knew it," the Kwami muttered from somewhere out of Adrien's line of sight.

But that was all Adrien needed. He'd do it. No way would he let Plagg gloat and rub his cowardice in his own face. No way.

"Plagg, claws out!"

The Kwami groaned, as he was sucked into the silver ring on Adrien's finger.

* * *

_Little Do You Know All My Mistakes Are Slowly Drowning Me_

 

Ladybug didn't so much as blink when he appeared at her side, lowering himself to sit beside her. They dangled their legs off he edge of the Eiffel Tower, watching the dark water of the Seine flow lazily, watching the city lights twinkle, a poor representative of the stars, but stunning nonetheless.

"You're early," Ladybug commented.

Adrien hesitated. He didn't have to tell her right away did he? He shrugged, trying to appear at ease, hiding the way his blood rushed through his veins and his heart beat faster than usual. "I didn't want to keep you waiting, My Lady."

Ladybug hummed in response. "We should get going."

"We should."

Neither of them moved.

They sat there, legs dangling, staring at the beauty of Paris, listening to the sounds that ricocheted from the city into the sky.

"I don't get to do this a lot," Ladybug said.

"Watch Paris like this?" Adrien glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The lights illuminated her face in such a way that she looked more beautiful than ever, if that were possible. It was.

She nodded. "We get to save it, by I don't get to appreciate it like this very often. It's beautiful." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs, and her head on her hands. She looked so content. So... peaceful.

Adrien wanted to sit there forever and stare at her. Memorize all the tiny details. The hair that hung in front of her ears, the way her bangs swept across her forehead, the depths of those bluebell eyes, the gentle curve of her lips... she was stunning. Without thought, Adrien felt a smile creeping over his lips. He wondered if she ever looked at him like he looked at her. Truly seeing him. Did her heart beat a little faster when he smiled at her? His own heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest with emotion when she laughed. Did she like his laugh?

Adrien cleared his throat, fiddled with the sleeve of his leather suit. "L-Ladybug..." he quit his fiddling, forcing himself to look confident as he waited for her to meet his gaze. When she did, she smiled.

"Yes, Kitty?"

His heart warmed at the nickname.

Adrien bit his lip, stared at his hand. He took a deep breath. "I've wanted to tell you something for a long time. I tried before, but... things prevented me from doing it," his eyes flicked up to her face, but he stared back down at his hand before he got a chance to process her expression. "I... I love you, My Lady." He dared a glance at her through his eye lashes, and was immediately taken aback by the paleness of her face. He rushed on when she opened her mouth, "My heart's been held captive by you since... since Stoneheart. I've been holding back from telling you, because... I don't know why I have. Every bit of me wants nothing more than for you to be mine, just like I'm already yours. But the waiting has been drowning me, and I need you to know." He stared into her eyes, ignoring the continual paling of her face. "I love you. So much."

She said nothing, mouth agape, eyes wide. She tried to speak, once, twice, but all she managed was a squeak.

Adrien reached for her face to rest his hand on her cheek, but she grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

He began to panic inside, but he schooled his face. Why was she acting like this? Was Plagg right? Had he just played the fool? He gulped. The world seemed to spin around him.

"Chat," she finally gasped. After several breaths, she spoke. "I didn't know you felt like this. I-I'm sorry, but my heart already-" she gulped, "belongs to someone else."

The world paused. He was frozen in time, those words echoing through his mind, slowly sinking lower, lower, lower...

And then they collided with his heart, and in that moment, his heart shattered, and he had to struggle to restrain the tears that threatened to fall.

"I'm really sorry for this Chat. I didn't know you felt like this, and I'm sorry for whatever I've put you through because of it." She smiled, but it was pained. Her eyes lowered to her hands, which were fiddling nervously in her lap.

Adrien took a deep breath, closed his eyes. After several moments, he forced his own smile, staring into her stunning eyes. "No, it's okay. I should've known. Whoever he is is the luckiest guy to ever walk this earth."

She looked up at him, eyes wide. But then she smiled. "You're a good friend, Chat."

_You're a good friend, Chat._

_You're a good friend, Chat._

_Good friend..._

* * *

  _Little Do You Know I Know You're Hurting While I'm Sound Asleep_

 

The next day, Adrien tried to ignore yesterdays mistake, but it was too heavy. He ended up having an emotional break down in the shower, sobbing hopelessly into the wall. The love of his life didn't reciprocate his love. There was someone else. Someone that she loved. Someone that probably made her smile every time she saw him. Someone that made her heart beat faster.

 And that someone would never be him.

He managed to arrive at school and survive his first class with a facade. He smiled, laughed, chatted, and acted generally happy, all the while ignoring the shards of his heart. Her words still haunted him, a cold reminder of how he wasn't the lucky boy that got to sweep her off her feet.

It was after class when things got worse.

He was putting his things away in his bag, when he noticed Alya pause in the classroom door. He glanced up, and she was smiling up at Marinette. With a thumbs up at her best friend, the red-haired girl exited. Adrien stepped around his desk, and turned toward the door. Surprisingly, Chloe had left without bothering him. He was grateful for it. He didn't know if he could be patient with her today.

A hand gently grasped his elbow. "Adrien?" Marinette whispered behind him. "Can I... can I talk to you for a moment?"

He didn't turn toward her. Instead, he subtly took a breath, closed his eyes. After managing to take his focus from his own broken heart, he turned to her, genuinely smiling. It wasn't often she directly sought him out, after all. He knew he made her nervous, but he'd never understand why. "Sure."

She waited until the last of their class left, then released his elbow. She cleared her throat, blushed, fiddled with her shirt, blushed harder, avoided his eyes.

But finally, her eyes locked with his, and he smiled encouragingly. What he wouldn't give to have someone give him a smile like that. He knew he needed it. Needed someone to let him know they were there for him.

"I-I love you, Adrien."

When those four words slipped through her lips, his shattered heart froze. Solid. His luck really was bad.

"Oh." He blinked.

She chewed her lip, apparently not noticing his apprehension. "Since that first day, when you gave me your umbrella-" she paused, mouth open as if to say more, but she didn't. Finally, she closed her mouth. Her eyes never left his.

"Marinette, I-"

He didn't know how to tell her this. Ladybug may have rejected him, but he still loved her. And he couldn't let Marinette's hopes up. How could he be gentle about it?

But she beat him to it.

She smiled all to brightly. "I know we don't talk a lot, but I'm always so unsure, because I don't want you to dislike me, and I-"

"Marinette, there's someone else." He gulped.

She blinked. Her smile vanished instantly. "Oh... um... I-I didn't know." Suddenly she couldn't look at him any longer, her eyes darting everywhere else. Adrien watched her lip quiver. "I'm sorry, I really didn't know, if I did, I wouldn't of- I would've-"

"It's alright, Marinette." He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring, trying to pretend this wasn't so similar to last night. "I'm glad you told me, honestly."

"You... you are?"

"I wondered why you were nervous around me all the time, and now..." he trailed off, glanced at the clock. Gorilla would be waiting out front to take him back to his father's mansion for lunch. "Marinette, I have to go."

"Oh, um, of course! Yeah, I'll just..."

He offered her another smile. "I hope we can still be friends?"

"Y-yeah! Of course."

"Great. I'll see you after lunch." He smiled. He really didn't want to have to come back after lunch. Things were too hard.

As he exited the classroom, he heard a sniffle from inside. It was small, but it carried so much depth.

That night, he stared at his dark room, breaking further from Ladybug's rejection, and hating himself for causing Marinette pain.

* * *

_Little Do You Know I'm Still Haunted By The Memories_

 

Adrien sat in the park on a bench, alone. He could hear people distantly, the occasional civilian pointing his way and whispering, but he ignored it.

He may look deep in thought on the surface, but underneath it all, he was hurting. She wasn't his. Some would say his pain from Ladybug's rejection was just dramatic, but he'd been in love with her for months, seeing her daily, hanging on her every word, heart beating at her every smile, breathless at a glance from her. He still loved her. Her rejection haunted him, gnawing at the open scar she'd caused.

But he couldn't really blame her for his pain, could he? She was Ladybug. Of course she'd be in high demand, and she'd given her heart to them.

He sighed, running fingers through his golden locks. They held the last bit of sunlight that hadn't been sucked from his life.

But then his thoughts turned elsewhere.

To quiet sniffles in an empty classroom, and another confession of love, and another rejection.

His thoughts turned to Marinette.

Was she in the same condition as him? Heart broken, her hopes shattered. He knew he was to blame if that was the case.

He was afraid to visit her as Adrien... but maybe he could comfort her as Chat?

* * *

 

_Little Do You Know I'm Trying To Pick Myself Up Piece By Piece_

 

She leaned on her balcony railing, staring out across Paris. As he watched her, a gentle breeze flitted through her pigtails, and she turned away from it. A slice of light passed over her face, and crystalline tears shone on her cheeks.

Adrien gulped, and his cat ears twitched. He moved from his perch on the building across the street. Silently, he dropped to her balcony behind her. "Princess? Are you okay?"

Marinette squeaked as she spun around to face him, pressing the backs of her legs against the railing. She stared at him like that for a few moments, then softened. "Chat Noir? What are you doing here?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it. He couldn't lie. "I came to check on you."

"Why?"

He ignored the question. "Are you okay? You have tears on your cheeks."

Her eyes widened, and she scrubbed them away with her sleeve. "I'm okay, I was just-" she choked on a sob as she averted her eyes. "Oh, Chat... I'm so stupid. Of course there's someone else."

He knew exactly what she was talking about, and his cat ears drooped. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't know what to say, so he pressed his cheek to the top of her head as she cried her heart into his chest. Silent tears slipped down his cheeks, landing on her head, but she didn't seem to notice. She hugged him fiercely, like he might vanish if she didn't keep him close.

Finally, she spoke again. "I told my crush how I felt about him, but I was such an idiot, because there's someone else."

He was silent for a few moments. If he wasn't able to be happy, that didn't mean Marinette had to feel the results of his sadness. She didn't deserve rejection.

"Maybe... give him a bit of time, and then maybe you can approach him again?"

Would he actually love Marinette? He knew he could. He'd get over Ladybug, and then his heart would be open to someone else. Maybe Marinette could be that someone else?

"I was rejected the other day," he admitted. Marinette stiffened in his arms. "She was so much to me. Still is... but I think I'll manage to move on."

Marinette didn't say anything. She just pushed against him more, holding him closer. He snuggled his face into her hair, letting her blue locks wipe his tears away.

* * *

 

_Little Do You Know I Need A Little More Time_

 

Several weeks passed, and Adrien kept his distance from Ladybug. It was hard to do, considering they were the miraculous heroes of Paris. He avoided her as much as possible, only interacting with her during Akuma attacks, and when they had patrol together. But he didn't laugh with her. He didn't flirt. He needed time.

He noticed Marinette doing the same with him. She avoided him at school more than ever. Alya tried to reason with Marinette, but the bluenette wouldn't listen.

Adrien deserved her cold shoulder. He knew he did.

But things began to change. It started when he smiled at Ladybug. For the first time in a month. She was so surprised, she tripped over her own feet. The next day at school when he walked into class, Marinette shot him a smile that could have illuminated the whole world. He felt his heart warm, and he smiled back. Neither of them noticed the way Nino and Alya watched the exchange with keen eyes.

And it progressed from there. He began to exchange pleasantries with Ladybug, and Marinette did the same with him. Over a few more weeks, he was friends with Ladybug again, and with Marinette. The girl didn't stutter around him anymore, but she still blushed.

She didn't approach him again like he'd suggested as Chat, and he didn't approach Ladybug again. Instead, they savored the friendship.

Who knew? Maybe one day Ladybug would reciprocate his feelings, or maybe he'd reciprocate Marinette's. The future stretched before them. But for now, friendship was all either of them wanted.

He occasionally wondered... what if Marinette was Ladybug? It would make this whole situation look ridiculous. It made him laugh. Little did he know that Marinette entertained those same thoughts.

His heart was fixed again, and for now, that's all that mattered.

* * *

 

_Just Wait... Our Love Is Here And Here To Stay_

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this is some weird form of crack...  
> This is crack, people.  
> Help me.


End file.
